Fic - SGA/Numb3rs; No Need To Run, We'll Get There in the End
Title: No Need to Run, We'll Get There in the End
Author: bergann
Fandom: Numb3rs/Stargate Atlantis
Pairing: Colby Granger/Evan Lorne
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2 819
Summary: Evan's a little surprised when he walks into the barracks to find two Army guys sitting at a crappy fold-up table with Nick.
Disclaimer: [fíksh'n]: literary works of imagination
Author's Note: For bluflamingo ♥, who bought me in the Sweet Charity auction and wanted to know how exactly Colby and Lorne met in the first place.
So many thanks to all the people I went begging to for help on the facts/timeline in this. I would've been so lost without you guys ♥
August 2002
Kunar Province, Afghanistan
Evan's a little surprised when he walks into the barracks to find two Army guys sitting at a crappy fold-up table with Nick. The guys from Army are rarely actually in the Air Force camp, certainly not down in the sleeping area.
"Evan, meet Colby and Dwayne." Nick grins and Evan nods in greeting. "They're gonna try and teach me some cards."
Evan laughs. "Hope you make good teachers, man, half the camp's tried teaching Nick cards and failed."
"Good thing Dwayne likes a challenge." The guy named Colby says, grinning and relaxing back on the small stool. Evan's kind of impressed the guy hasn't toppled over, he knows how hard it can be to balance on those things.
He snorts as he picks up a shorts and t-shirt to change into. "More like a hopeless case."
"Fuck you, only four people have tried teaching me cards," Nick defends but doesn't deny the fact that none of those four succeed. "It's not my fault you suck at explaining. Dwayne on the other hand, he made sense when he was talking about it at the MWR tent."
"I can explain just fine if you actually pay attention," Evan shrugs, a what-can-you-do shrug as he changes, even though they can't see it. "Though I guess this works out better than I was expecting. There's a game of soccer being put together between Army and Air Force. Any of you in?"
Nick and Dwayne shake their head, already focused back on the cards but Colby looks from them to Evan and nods as he gets to his feet. "Sure. I was always more into contact sports, but soccer beats watching Dwayne failing to impart his wisdom."
Dwayne hits Colby for that, a quick tap on the thigh that can't hurt, but Colby clutches at it and stumbles like it did.
"Contact sport, huh?"
"Yeah, I was on the wrestling team in college."
"Oh yeah? Any good?"
"Better than I will be at soccer," Colby laughs. "Better than I am at cards."
"Good news for me then," Evan says cheerfully, leading the way back out. "So how long have you been here?"
"Long enough to know I should probably treasure being allowed in the Air Force camp without a toothache," Colby says and his smile is wide and teasing.
"Don't have to be here that long to know that," Evan points out.
"Guess not," Colby agrees, "It's been eleven months."
They walk in silence for a moment, until Evan can't help but ask. "Think your man Dwayne can teach Nick?"
He hadn't been joking when he said everyone who'd tried had failed. Kid might be a genius, but cards for some reason are completely out of his grasp. Every rule of the game is usually gone by the next day, and the whole cycle continues.
"Well," Colby seems to hesitate for a moment before he laughs. "Nick will be winning in no time. That much Dwayne can guarantee."
As answers go, it's cryptic. Evan's about to ask what he means when they reach one of the makeshift goals, just two sticks stuck in the ground, and Colby disappears off to the Army side with a 'good luck' tossed over his shoulder.
Evan's not particularly good at soccer, but for this kind of match, an unplanned one, you don't exactly need to be. Colby though, manages to score two goals before Evan decides to just stick to him like glue. "I thought you said you were bad at soccer," Evan says while he's trying to get clear for the throw in.
"I said I was better at wrestling than I was at soccer," Colby answers and he grins as he shrugs. "Never said I was bad."
"I've never been so relieved this isn't a wrestling match," Evan says and takes off with the ball, manages to pass it on before Colby can get it.
The game ends 4-2 to the Army, but Evan's actually pretty pleased since Colby didn't manage another goal. He's breathing hard, because once Colby figured out he couldn't shake Evan, he'd apparently decided to just make Evan run everywhere.
"Good game," Colby says and his eyes are definitely laughing at Evan.
"Yeah," Evan agrees, "Remind me to never play against you in anything unless I've seen just how good you are first."
"More fun if I don't though," Colby laughs.
"So," Dwayne says, coming up behind Colby along with Nick. "Now that you're physically exhausted, how about we go exercise you mentally as well with a round of cards at the MWR tent?"
"I'm 80% certain I remember everything this time," Nick adds, and then to Evan, "I told you I just needed someone to explain it to me right."
"It's cards," Evan says, "How many ways can you explain it?"
"Obviously more than one," Dwayne says cheerfully. "He is my card protégé."
"You'd better prepare to unteach everything Dwayne's taught him," Colby whispers as they walk. "Dwayne can't help but cheat at cards."
At Evan's surprised look, his grin grows even wider.
*
Evan's been at the base for six months.
He can't recall seeing Colby around during those months, just another face in a sea of unfamiliar faces he supposes, but now, he seems to be running into Colby every time he steps foot outside the Air Force camp.
"We've got to stop meeting like this, man," Colby says when they find themselves face to face again in the USO tent. "People will talk."
"I don't think topics for conversation has run quite that dry around here yet," Evan says, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't know, to me, the fact that I'm apparently being stalked beats some of the things Dwayne talks to me about."
"Why am I the stalker?" Evan asks, "You could be the stalker."
Colby shrugs and smiles. "I said it first."
Evan stares. "Sorry, I must've missed the part where we're still in kindergarten."
"Huh," Colby says, "You'd think a spec ops pilot would pay better attention."
*
"So a little Air Force genius tells me you jog every day," Colby says, settling down next to where Evan is playing chess with Lieutenant Darvey. "Except I don't believe him, since you're pretty slow, even for your age."
"My age?" Evan asks incredulous. "I'm what, four years older than you?"
"Ancient," Colby affirms, "So my question is, you just that slow playing soccer or in general?"
"Is that a challenge?" Evan asks, both eyebrows raised. "I can outrun you anytime, Granger."
"What do you say, Darvey?"
"I don't know, dude," Lieutenant Darvey says, "Lorne's pretty damn fast when he wants to be."
"Well then," Colby decides. "You'll just have to prove it."
*
"Shit, finally there you are," Nick says as he bursts into the MWR tent, and Evan looks up from where he's reading a letter from his sister.
"What's happened?"
"Our new Army friends are in the med tent." Nick says, "And I knew you were going to go jogging with Colby, so I've been running around trying to find you to tell you."
"Nick, I've got no idea what you're talking about," Evan says, feeling something very much like dread pooling in his stomach.
"Their Humvee got attacked. Everyone's alive; most of the damage is apparently just minor burns. Dwayne said something about Colby though, that they gotta keep him in the med tent for a while. Something happened, but Dwayne didn't say what, just that Colby was okay."
"You're heading over there now?" Evan asks, and feels like he's swallowed a stone.
"No. I have to go on duty. I just figured I'd find you first."
"Okay." Evan says, getting to his feet and stuffing the letter into a pocket. "Thanks."
*
They've given Colby the good stuff. That much is clear because once Evan steps past the curtains, Colby's face splits nearly in half with a grin. "Evan! Evan, man, I need to tell you, you really suck at soccer."
"Someone has to," Evan responds after a moment spent cataloguing the cuts and bandages and bruises. It doesn't look bad, other than his left shoulder which is covered in white bandages, with a thin line of red visible. There are cuts and bruises over the rest of his body - what Evan can see, anyway, and his skin is still sooty in some places. Evan has seen worse, and he wasn't aware he'd been holding onto his breath until it all whooshes out of him in relief. "How's it going?"
"I'm fine," Colby says, "I don't really need to be here, but they keep insisting. I'm fine though. Did you see where Dwayne went? He was supposed to get me a Mountain Dew or something."
"No," Evan says, settling into the chair. "Haven't seen him. So, you wanna tell me what happened? Nick wasn't real clear on the details."
"The Humvee got attacked as we were headed back." Colby says, "We rolled and the metal pinned my left side to the seat. I couldn't get out, and the fire was growing, but Dwayne came back and pulled me out of the wreck, dislocated my shoulder doing it. He saved my life."
"What's the damage?"
"My shoulder's busted pretty good, and I got burned pretty bad where the metal wrapped itself, but there's nothing serious."
"Nothing serious about burns and shoulder dislocation," Evan says and rolls his eyes. "Jesus, Colby."
"Well I can't feel it right now," Colby says, "It feels like nothing."
"Going to be a nice surprise once your drugs wear off then." Evan leans forward a little, reaching out towards Colby's neck. "You've still got some blood here."
"Really? Here I thought the nurse was unusually thorough in the washing," Colby says and then actually blushes. Evan blinks, picking up the washcloth and dipping it in the cold water, but when he looks back, there's still a faint hint of red there.
"This'll be a step down for you then," Evan says, bringing the washcloth to the side of Colby's neck. "Unless you want me to call the nurse back."
"Nah, you're definitely cuter," Colby says and leans his head to the side. "But shh, don't tell her, I'm hoping she'll give me second helpings tomorrow."
"Won't breathe a word," Evan promises, not looking directly at Colby as he sweeps the cloth over his skin. He can tell Colby's eyes are fixed on his face, and he's not entirely sure what to make of it. He clears his throat a little when he's done, before he says, "Right, no more blood visible now."
"Thanks," Colby says, licking his lips as his good arm comes up, fingers curling in Evan's hair and pulling him down, fitting their mouths together. It lasts barely a few seconds, just enough time for Evan to take notice of the feel of Colby's lips against his, before Colby's letting go and Evan's pushing away. "Sorry," Colby says, eyes wide like he can't believe he just did that. Evan can't really believe it either.
"Right, no problem," Evan says, sitting back down in the chair. He wrings the washcloth in his hands and watches the red stained water drip on his shoes. "Nick wanted to thank you for teaching him cards properly before anyone caught him cheating."
"Right," Colby repeats, "Tell him it was my pleasure, man, it was my fault for letting Dwayne start teaching him in the first place."
Okay, Evan thinks as he smiles at the joke, Colby's on a lot of painkillers. It didn't meet anything, but shit, what a risk.
The curtains jerk back.
"I've returned victorious with Mountain Dew!" Dwayne says and blinks at Evan. "Man sorry, didn't know you had company."
Evan closes his eyes for a brief moment, and thinks again, it doesn't mean anything, before he opens them and says, "Nah, that's alright, Carter. I gotta get going anyway. Just because Colby has an excuse to not exercise today doesn't mean I do. Get better Colby, I'll drop in tomorrow with some magazines or something."
"Have a good run," Colby says, "Try not to strain something."
*
"You sure you should be jogging?" Evan asks dubiously as Colby suddenly comes up alongside him. "I'm not a medical expert, but I'm fairly sure you've got to be hurting right now."
"Nah, I'm good," Colby says, except for how Evan can hear he's nearly out of breath already. He wonders how fast Colby ran to catch up. "Another day of rest and I'd be going out of my mind."
"So you decided to give yourself some more pain instead by jostling it as you run," Evan slows down a little, just enough so that Colby doesn't notice. "Totally reasonable."
"I told you, I'm fine."
"I didn't say anything," Evan protests, "You're just projecting."
They jog in silence for a while, Evan slowing down just until Colby's breath comes easier. It's not until they're nearly back to where they start, that Colby goes, "They say the burn will scar and there might be some lasting damage, but there's no telling right now."
"You did fine just now," Evan says, slowing to a stop. "You'll be okay."
*
"I hear you're headed out," Evan says and Colby looks up where he's reading.
"Yeah, and the bird who told you that wouldn't be the same little bird that told me you're on your way out too, would it?" Colby asks, lips curling up at the corners.
"Maybe, he does like sticking his nose in everywhere." Evan agrees and smiles back as he settles down on the bench across from him. "So where are you headed?"
"Back to the US, military intelligence," Colby says. "Out of the line of fire. They don't want to risk me getting worse here."
"You saying you don't understand that? You've got a college degree and you've been taking those classes in interrogation, you're of more use doing intelligence than you are risking injury here. What if your shoulder acted up in the middle of combat? That's too big of a risk for them or you to take."
"No I know, it's just - I'm leaving the guys behind." Colby sighs, "You're leaving too. Don't tell me you don't have exactly the same feeling."
"No, I do," Evan says, "But you'll get that anyway, no matter when you leave."
*
When Evan leaves the mountain, after three months on P3X-403, he doesn't think to check his voicemail until he's settled down at home with new groceries in the refrigerator and freshly showered.
The phone isn't really used that much anymore except for the occasional call from old friends or his sister, although Erika has stopped calling and started sending e-mails instead. He doesn't expect there to be more than two voicemails, if any, but there's nine.
One is from his sister and his nephews saying hi, and one from Nick telling him that Lieutenant Alex Darvey's died and informing him of the funeral details, but the other seven are all from Colby.
"Hey man, haven't heard from you in a while, how's it --"
"--have you heard about Darvey? It's so messed up --"
"--didn't see you at the funeral, Nick says you new posting has you pretty busy --"
"--been honorably discharged from the Army. My shoulder's a mess right now; I could barely put up a fight against some little punk at this point--"
"--apartment in Denver. The physiotherapy is a bitch right now, but the guy's supposed to be one of the best. I'm getting better--"
"--I really hope this is your number, dude, or I'm making a fool out of myself to a complete stranger."
Evan dials Colby's number and settles down on the couch. "Technology has really advanced, man, when your cell phone calls me back."
"Sorry, I've been...out." Evan says and winces.
"Out," Colby says, and his voice is more teasing than annoyed. "Man, classified work has made your responses really boring."
"Well, by the sounds of your messages, you're taking care of all the excitement. They're not exactly clear, what happened?"
"Kind of a long story," Colby says, "You sure you got time to hear it all?"
Evan rolls his eyes. "I can do you one better," he says confidently, "You said you got an apartment in Denver. How about lunch in town this weekend? I'll even try to come up with some non-classified stories to tell."
Colby laughs. "Won't believe it until it happens, but yeah, I'll let you buy me food, sure."
"And I have to pay, why?" Evan smiles, but doesn't actually protest.
"You're the one who was too busy to use a phone for three months," Colby says, and his voice sounds warmer. "The least you can do is buy me lunch."
"Alright," Evan agrees, "But the next one's on you."
Author: bergann
Fandom: Numb3rs/Stargate Atlantis
Pairing: Colby Granger/Evan Lorne
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2 819
Summary: Evan's a little surprised when he walks into the barracks to find two Army guys sitting at a crappy fold-up table with Nick.
Disclaimer: [fíksh'n]: literary works of imagination
Author's Note: For bluflamingo ♥, who bought me in the Sweet Charity auction and wanted to know how exactly Colby and Lorne met in the first place.
So many thanks to all the people I went begging to for help on the facts/timeline in this. I would've been so lost without you guys ♥
August 2002
Kunar Province, Afghanistan
Evan's a little surprised when he walks into the barracks to find two Army guys sitting at a crappy fold-up table with Nick. The guys from Army are rarely actually in the Air Force camp, certainly not down in the sleeping area.
"Evan, meet Colby and Dwayne." Nick grins and Evan nods in greeting. "They're gonna try and teach me some cards."
Evan laughs. "Hope you make good teachers, man, half the camp's tried teaching Nick cards and failed."
"Good thing Dwayne likes a challenge." The guy named Colby says, grinning and relaxing back on the small stool. Evan's kind of impressed the guy hasn't toppled over, he knows how hard it can be to balance on those things.
He snorts as he picks up a shorts and t-shirt to change into. "More like a hopeless case."
"Fuck you, only four people have tried teaching me cards," Nick defends but doesn't deny the fact that none of those four succeed. "It's not my fault you suck at explaining. Dwayne on the other hand, he made sense when he was talking about it at the MWR tent."
"I can explain just fine if you actually pay attention," Evan shrugs, a what-can-you-do shrug as he changes, even though they can't see it. "Though I guess this works out better than I was expecting. There's a game of soccer being put together between Army and Air Force. Any of you in?"
Nick and Dwayne shake their head, already focused back on the cards but Colby looks from them to Evan and nods as he gets to his feet. "Sure. I was always more into contact sports, but soccer beats watching Dwayne failing to impart his wisdom."
Dwayne hits Colby for that, a quick tap on the thigh that can't hurt, but Colby clutches at it and stumbles like it did.
"Contact sport, huh?"
"Yeah, I was on the wrestling team in college."
"Oh yeah? Any good?"
"Better than I will be at soccer," Colby laughs. "Better than I am at cards."
"Good news for me then," Evan says cheerfully, leading the way back out. "So how long have you been here?"
"Long enough to know I should probably treasure being allowed in the Air Force camp without a toothache," Colby says and his smile is wide and teasing.
"Don't have to be here that long to know that," Evan points out.
"Guess not," Colby agrees, "It's been eleven months."
They walk in silence for a moment, until Evan can't help but ask. "Think your man Dwayne can teach Nick?"
He hadn't been joking when he said everyone who'd tried had failed. Kid might be a genius, but cards for some reason are completely out of his grasp. Every rule of the game is usually gone by the next day, and the whole cycle continues.
"Well," Colby seems to hesitate for a moment before he laughs. "Nick will be winning in no time. That much Dwayne can guarantee."
As answers go, it's cryptic. Evan's about to ask what he means when they reach one of the makeshift goals, just two sticks stuck in the ground, and Colby disappears off to the Army side with a 'good luck' tossed over his shoulder.
Evan's not particularly good at soccer, but for this kind of match, an unplanned one, you don't exactly need to be. Colby though, manages to score two goals before Evan decides to just stick to him like glue. "I thought you said you were bad at soccer," Evan says while he's trying to get clear for the throw in.
"I said I was better at wrestling than I was at soccer," Colby answers and he grins as he shrugs. "Never said I was bad."
"I've never been so relieved this isn't a wrestling match," Evan says and takes off with the ball, manages to pass it on before Colby can get it.
The game ends 4-2 to the Army, but Evan's actually pretty pleased since Colby didn't manage another goal. He's breathing hard, because once Colby figured out he couldn't shake Evan, he'd apparently decided to just make Evan run everywhere.
"Good game," Colby says and his eyes are definitely laughing at Evan.
"Yeah," Evan agrees, "Remind me to never play against you in anything unless I've seen just how good you are first."
"More fun if I don't though," Colby laughs.
"So," Dwayne says, coming up behind Colby along with Nick. "Now that you're physically exhausted, how about we go exercise you mentally as well with a round of cards at the MWR tent?"
"I'm 80% certain I remember everything this time," Nick adds, and then to Evan, "I told you I just needed someone to explain it to me right."
"It's cards," Evan says, "How many ways can you explain it?"
"Obviously more than one," Dwayne says cheerfully. "He is my card protégé."
"You'd better prepare to unteach everything Dwayne's taught him," Colby whispers as they walk. "Dwayne can't help but cheat at cards."
At Evan's surprised look, his grin grows even wider.
*
Evan's been at the base for six months.
He can't recall seeing Colby around during those months, just another face in a sea of unfamiliar faces he supposes, but now, he seems to be running into Colby every time he steps foot outside the Air Force camp.
"We've got to stop meeting like this, man," Colby says when they find themselves face to face again in the USO tent. "People will talk."
"I don't think topics for conversation has run quite that dry around here yet," Evan says, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't know, to me, the fact that I'm apparently being stalked beats some of the things Dwayne talks to me about."
"Why am I the stalker?" Evan asks, "You could be the stalker."
Colby shrugs and smiles. "I said it first."
Evan stares. "Sorry, I must've missed the part where we're still in kindergarten."
"Huh," Colby says, "You'd think a spec ops pilot would pay better attention."
*
"So a little Air Force genius tells me you jog every day," Colby says, settling down next to where Evan is playing chess with Lieutenant Darvey. "Except I don't believe him, since you're pretty slow, even for your age."
"My age?" Evan asks incredulous. "I'm what, four years older than you?"
"Ancient," Colby affirms, "So my question is, you just that slow playing soccer or in general?"
"Is that a challenge?" Evan asks, both eyebrows raised. "I can outrun you anytime, Granger."
"What do you say, Darvey?"
"I don't know, dude," Lieutenant Darvey says, "Lorne's pretty damn fast when he wants to be."
"Well then," Colby decides. "You'll just have to prove it."
*
"Shit, finally there you are," Nick says as he bursts into the MWR tent, and Evan looks up from where he's reading a letter from his sister.
"What's happened?"
"Our new Army friends are in the med tent." Nick says, "And I knew you were going to go jogging with Colby, so I've been running around trying to find you to tell you."
"Nick, I've got no idea what you're talking about," Evan says, feeling something very much like dread pooling in his stomach.
"Their Humvee got attacked. Everyone's alive; most of the damage is apparently just minor burns. Dwayne said something about Colby though, that they gotta keep him in the med tent for a while. Something happened, but Dwayne didn't say what, just that Colby was okay."
"You're heading over there now?" Evan asks, and feels like he's swallowed a stone.
"No. I have to go on duty. I just figured I'd find you first."
"Okay." Evan says, getting to his feet and stuffing the letter into a pocket. "Thanks."
*
They've given Colby the good stuff. That much is clear because once Evan steps past the curtains, Colby's face splits nearly in half with a grin. "Evan! Evan, man, I need to tell you, you really suck at soccer."
"Someone has to," Evan responds after a moment spent cataloguing the cuts and bandages and bruises. It doesn't look bad, other than his left shoulder which is covered in white bandages, with a thin line of red visible. There are cuts and bruises over the rest of his body - what Evan can see, anyway, and his skin is still sooty in some places. Evan has seen worse, and he wasn't aware he'd been holding onto his breath until it all whooshes out of him in relief. "How's it going?"
"I'm fine," Colby says, "I don't really need to be here, but they keep insisting. I'm fine though. Did you see where Dwayne went? He was supposed to get me a Mountain Dew or something."
"No," Evan says, settling into the chair. "Haven't seen him. So, you wanna tell me what happened? Nick wasn't real clear on the details."
"The Humvee got attacked as we were headed back." Colby says, "We rolled and the metal pinned my left side to the seat. I couldn't get out, and the fire was growing, but Dwayne came back and pulled me out of the wreck, dislocated my shoulder doing it. He saved my life."
"What's the damage?"
"My shoulder's busted pretty good, and I got burned pretty bad where the metal wrapped itself, but there's nothing serious."
"Nothing serious about burns and shoulder dislocation," Evan says and rolls his eyes. "Jesus, Colby."
"Well I can't feel it right now," Colby says, "It feels like nothing."
"Going to be a nice surprise once your drugs wear off then." Evan leans forward a little, reaching out towards Colby's neck. "You've still got some blood here."
"Really? Here I thought the nurse was unusually thorough in the washing," Colby says and then actually blushes. Evan blinks, picking up the washcloth and dipping it in the cold water, but when he looks back, there's still a faint hint of red there.
"This'll be a step down for you then," Evan says, bringing the washcloth to the side of Colby's neck. "Unless you want me to call the nurse back."
"Nah, you're definitely cuter," Colby says and leans his head to the side. "But shh, don't tell her, I'm hoping she'll give me second helpings tomorrow."
"Won't breathe a word," Evan promises, not looking directly at Colby as he sweeps the cloth over his skin. He can tell Colby's eyes are fixed on his face, and he's not entirely sure what to make of it. He clears his throat a little when he's done, before he says, "Right, no more blood visible now."
"Thanks," Colby says, licking his lips as his good arm comes up, fingers curling in Evan's hair and pulling him down, fitting their mouths together. It lasts barely a few seconds, just enough time for Evan to take notice of the feel of Colby's lips against his, before Colby's letting go and Evan's pushing away. "Sorry," Colby says, eyes wide like he can't believe he just did that. Evan can't really believe it either.
"Right, no problem," Evan says, sitting back down in the chair. He wrings the washcloth in his hands and watches the red stained water drip on his shoes. "Nick wanted to thank you for teaching him cards properly before anyone caught him cheating."
"Right," Colby repeats, "Tell him it was my pleasure, man, it was my fault for letting Dwayne start teaching him in the first place."
Okay, Evan thinks as he smiles at the joke, Colby's on a lot of painkillers. It didn't meet anything, but shit, what a risk.
The curtains jerk back.
"I've returned victorious with Mountain Dew!" Dwayne says and blinks at Evan. "Man sorry, didn't know you had company."
Evan closes his eyes for a brief moment, and thinks again, it doesn't mean anything, before he opens them and says, "Nah, that's alright, Carter. I gotta get going anyway. Just because Colby has an excuse to not exercise today doesn't mean I do. Get better Colby, I'll drop in tomorrow with some magazines or something."
"Have a good run," Colby says, "Try not to strain something."
*
"You sure you should be jogging?" Evan asks dubiously as Colby suddenly comes up alongside him. "I'm not a medical expert, but I'm fairly sure you've got to be hurting right now."
"Nah, I'm good," Colby says, except for how Evan can hear he's nearly out of breath already. He wonders how fast Colby ran to catch up. "Another day of rest and I'd be going out of my mind."
"So you decided to give yourself some more pain instead by jostling it as you run," Evan slows down a little, just enough so that Colby doesn't notice. "Totally reasonable."
"I told you, I'm fine."
"I didn't say anything," Evan protests, "You're just projecting."
They jog in silence for a while, Evan slowing down just until Colby's breath comes easier. It's not until they're nearly back to where they start, that Colby goes, "They say the burn will scar and there might be some lasting damage, but there's no telling right now."
"You did fine just now," Evan says, slowing to a stop. "You'll be okay."
*
"I hear you're headed out," Evan says and Colby looks up where he's reading.
"Yeah, and the bird who told you that wouldn't be the same little bird that told me you're on your way out too, would it?" Colby asks, lips curling up at the corners.
"Maybe, he does like sticking his nose in everywhere." Evan agrees and smiles back as he settles down on the bench across from him. "So where are you headed?"
"Back to the US, military intelligence," Colby says. "Out of the line of fire. They don't want to risk me getting worse here."
"You saying you don't understand that? You've got a college degree and you've been taking those classes in interrogation, you're of more use doing intelligence than you are risking injury here. What if your shoulder acted up in the middle of combat? That's too big of a risk for them or you to take."
"No I know, it's just - I'm leaving the guys behind." Colby sighs, "You're leaving too. Don't tell me you don't have exactly the same feeling."
"No, I do," Evan says, "But you'll get that anyway, no matter when you leave."
*
When Evan leaves the mountain, after three months on P3X-403, he doesn't think to check his voicemail until he's settled down at home with new groceries in the refrigerator and freshly showered.
The phone isn't really used that much anymore except for the occasional call from old friends or his sister, although Erika has stopped calling and started sending e-mails instead. He doesn't expect there to be more than two voicemails, if any, but there's nine.
One is from his sister and his nephews saying hi, and one from Nick telling him that Lieutenant Alex Darvey's died and informing him of the funeral details, but the other seven are all from Colby.
"Hey man, haven't heard from you in a while, how's it --"
"--have you heard about Darvey? It's so messed up --"
"--didn't see you at the funeral, Nick says you new posting has you pretty busy --"
"--been honorably discharged from the Army. My shoulder's a mess right now; I could barely put up a fight against some little punk at this point--"
"--apartment in Denver. The physiotherapy is a bitch right now, but the guy's supposed to be one of the best. I'm getting better--"
"--I really hope this is your number, dude, or I'm making a fool out of myself to a complete stranger."
Evan dials Colby's number and settles down on the couch. "Technology has really advanced, man, when your cell phone calls me back."
"Sorry, I've been...out." Evan says and winces.
"Out," Colby says, and his voice is more teasing than annoyed. "Man, classified work has made your responses really boring."
"Well, by the sounds of your messages, you're taking care of all the excitement. They're not exactly clear, what happened?"
"Kind of a long story," Colby says, "You sure you got time to hear it all?"
Evan rolls his eyes. "I can do you one better," he says confidently, "You said you got an apartment in Denver. How about lunch in town this weekend? I'll even try to come up with some non-classified stories to tell."
Colby laughs. "Won't believe it until it happens, but yeah, I'll let you buy me food, sure."
"And I have to pay, why?" Evan smiles, but doesn't actually protest.
"You're the one who was too busy to use a phone for three months," Colby says, and his voice sounds warmer. "The least you can do is buy me lunch."
"Alright," Evan agrees, "But the next one's on you."